Firecrackers caused pollution to spike three-fold this Diwali: Report – carboncopy.info

Report on Air Quality Deterioration During Diwali in Delhi (2021-2025)

Executive Summary

A recent report by Climate Trends details a consistent and severe deterioration in air quality in Delhi and its surrounding regions during the Diwali festival period over five years (2021-2025). The analysis focuses on hourly changes in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations, revealing a significant spike directly attributable to firecracker emissions. This seasonal pollution event presents a substantial challenge to achieving key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those related to health, sustainable cities, and responsible consumption.

Key Findings and Analysis

The study, utilizing data from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), evaluated 24-hour periods before, during, and after Diwali for each year. The findings indicate a clear pattern of air quality degradation linked to festival activities.

PM2.5 Concentration Trends (2021-2025)

• A pronounced increase in PM2.5 concentrations was observed consistently during the Diwali period across all five years.
• Pollution levels peaked during late-night hours, specifically between 10:00 PM and 1:00 AM, correlating with high firecracker activity.
• The year 2025 recorded the most severe pollution, with the highest mean PM2.5 concentration (488 µg/m³) and a maximum post-Diwali concentration of 675.1 µg/m³.
• In 2025, post-Diwali PM2.5 readings (averaging 488 µg/m³) were more than three times higher than pre-festival levels (156.6 µg/m³).

Meteorological Factors and Dispersion

Meteorological conditions were found to exacerbate the pollution event. Key factors include:

1. Low Wind Speed: Wind speeds were consistently low (less than 1 m/s), inhibiting the dispersion of pollutants and leading to localized accumulation.
2. Cooler Temperatures: Average temperatures remained within a narrow range (19–27°C), with cooler nights contributing to poor atmospheric dispersion and trapping pollutants closer to the ground.

Impact of Firecracker Emissions

The report identifies local emissions from firecrackers as the primary cause of the sharp increase in PM2.5 levels.

• The analysis concluded that the spike in pollutants was due to local emissions rather than transboundary sources, given the low wind speed.
• It was noted that so-called “green firecrackers” made no measurable difference to air pollution levels, suggesting a need to re-evaluate their efficacy and quality standards.
• Despite a slight downward trend in peak PM2.5 levels over the five-year period, attributed to awareness campaigns and restrictions, the overall pollution event remains critically high and unsustainable for the region’s air quality.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The recurring air pollution crisis during Diwali directly undermines progress toward several SDGs.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The severe increase in PM2.5 concentrations poses a significant public health risk. Exposure to such high levels of fine particulate matter is linked to respiratory illnesses, cardiovascular problems, and other adverse health outcomes, directly conflicting with the objective of ensuring healthy lives for all citizens.

SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

The report’s findings highlight a major challenge to achieving SDG 11, which aims to make cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable. Predictable, hazardous air quality events render urban environments unsafe and unhealthy, demonstrating a failure in urban environmental management and planning.

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production

The widespread use of firecrackers represents an unsustainable consumption pattern with severe negative environmental externalities. This practice is contrary to the principles of SDG 12, which calls for ensuring sustainable consumption and production patterns to reduce ecological footprints and improve quality of life.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Addressed

1. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

   • The article’s central theme is the severe spike in air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter (PM2.5), which has well-documented adverse effects on human health, including respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. The discussion of “severe pollution buildup” and “critical air quality” directly connects to the goal of ensuring healthy lives.

2. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • The report focuses on the city of Delhi and its surrounding regions (Delhi-NCR), highlighting a major environmental challenge within an urban area. The article discusses the “unsustainable firecracker bursting” and its impact on the city’s air quality, which is a key aspect of making cities inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable.

Specific Targets Identified

1. Target 3.9: Substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination.

   • The article details the high concentrations of PM2.5, a hazardous air pollutant. The report’s finding that “2025 showed the highest recorded mean (488 μg/m3) and maximum concentration (675.1 μg/m3 post-Diwali)” points directly to the kind of air pollution that leads to illnesses and deaths, which this target aims to reduce.

2. Target 11.6: Reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities, including by paying special attention to air quality.

   • This target is directly addressed as the article’s entire focus is on the deterioration of air quality in Delhi due to seasonal activities. The statement that allowing firecrackers “is simply not sustainable for the NCR region’s already critical air quality” explicitly links the issue to the environmental sustainability of the city.

Indicators Mentioned or Implied

1. Indicator: Annual mean levels of fine particulate matter (e.g., PM2.5). (Relates to Target 11.6.2)

   • The article is built around the measurement of PM2.5 concentrations. It provides specific data points used to measure the severity of air pollution, such as the post-Diwali average of “around 488 μg/m3” compared to “just 156.6 before the festival.” This data, collected from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), serves as a direct indicator for measuring air quality in the city.

2. Indicator: Reduction in pollution levels over time. (Implied)

   • The article implies the use of this indicator by stating there is a “slight downward trend in peak PM2.5 levels across the five years.” This suggests that tracking the change in PM2.5 concentrations year-on-year is a key metric for assessing the effectiveness of “public awareness campaigns, restrictions on fireworks, and enforcement of pollution control measures.”

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Analysis

Source: carboncopy.info